When it comes to baking, I'm all about developing a list of "go-to" recipes for the classics - brownies, chocolate chip cookies, apple pie, chocolate cake, carrot cake, etc. I always want everything I make to be the best of the best - what's the point of eating something unhealthy otherwise? It better be worth those calories! - so I search and search and search, experimenting with ingredient proportions and preparation methods, until finally I feel that I have reached the "pinnacle" of whatever it is I am baking, and from then on, that becomes my go-to recipe and I rarely deviate from it. The final recipe must fulfill a few basic requirements- first, it has to include quality ingredients; second, it has to be easy - I don't go for obscure ingredients or complex preparations when it comes to the "classics", and third, it has to taste damn good (as already stated), and prove its consistency through repeated makings.

So I've already given you the recipe for my cocoa brownies. I make those a lot - I like the rich, dark (practically black) chocolate flavor and the slightly gooey consistency. They can also be a lot easier to make overseas, because cocoa powder is usually widely available, whereas unsweetened baking chocolate may be difficult to find. But sometimes I want a more classic, non-cocoa-based brownie. And sometimes I do just happen to have unsweetened chocolate floating around...

Such was the case yesterday. I had an invite to a friend's place for dinner, and I usually like to bring some sort of home-baked deliciousness on those occasions. So I opened the cupboard, saw a few loose cubes of baking chocolate lying there, and the decision was made. Brownies.

So. The brownies were baked, cooled, wrapped in foil, and stuffed in my handbag, and I set off to my friend's house, making a detour along the way to have one beer with the boys at the bar where they were watching the Bayern - Dortmund game. And then it happened. I don't really plan it, but for some reason I almost always have baked goods on my person when I am meeting the boys at the bar - it's becoming a trademark thing.

Classic Brownies Just one little tip about brownies- they are even more delicious after they've been frozen! I recommend wrapping up the brownies in individual portions and stashing them in the freezer.

Directions:1. Heat oven to 350°F / 175°C.2. Line a square baking pan with buttered parchment paper.3. Melt butter and chocolate in a medium-size saucepan on stovetop, then stir in sugar, eggs, salt, and vanilla extract. 4. Stir in the flour. 5. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, until surface looks evenly cooked and set.6. Wait until brownies are cool to slice.